In my fifth year of marriage to New York business titan Julian Blackwood, he ordered me to care for his pregnant mistress.

He threatened me with the destruction of my entire family. If anything went wrong, my entire world would be turned to ash.

This was my third time trapped in this cycle of death.

In my first life, all of New York high society whispered that his affections for the socialite Scarlett Monroe were something special.

And just as they said, she became pregnant. I assembled the finest medical team to care for her.

I waited on her hand and foot until she gave birth. But before I could even tell Julian the news, his men dragged me away and had me committed to a mental asylum. After seven long years of torture, I died in endless despair and madness.

It was only right before I died that I learned Julian's true love was never Scarlett. The woman he truly loved, the one he'd neglected, had suffered a mental breakdown and been sent to a sanatorium in Switzerland.

In my second life, I chose to investigate personally.

I saw Julian place his favorite custom Patek Philippe on the wrist of actress Cynthia Rhodes.

I acted decisively, hiring an entire security firm for her protection and even becoming her private cook and housekeeper.

But on the day Cynthia gave birth, I was killed in a meticulously planned car crash.

His cold, merciless words still echoed in my ears.

"My love and child were almost killed. So you can go to hell!"

The memory of my two tragic deaths sent my head spinning, and I nearly collapsed.

He had called her "my love," so who else could it be but Cynthia?

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1

When I didn't answer immediately, Julian's thin patience snapped.

He didn't pull a gun, just tossed a file onto the table—forged financial records, enough to send my father to prison.

"Claire, don't forget your place. You're just a trophy I bought. If you can't even serve that one purpose, your family can disappear right along with you!"

Rage and panic churned inside me, but I was in no position to challenge him.

I had to swallow my pride, affecting a fragile vulnerability as I sidled up to him.

"Julian, don't be so cruel. I'm your wife. Of course I'm upset that your mistress is pregnant."

"Look, you're scaring me. My heart is pounding..."

I couldn't for the life of me guess who the woman was, so I had to switch tactics. I'd have to play the loving wife to coax any clues out of him.

I reached out, as if to smooth the worry from his brow, but the instant my fingertips grazed his skin, he swatted my hand away in disgust.

"Drop the act. This is a business arrangement, nothing more. Don't tell me you've actually caught feelings?"

"If I weren't afraid my business rivals would use my private life against me, do you think I would have married you? You're the perfect cover."

"Save the performance for when we're in public. At home, try to have some self-respect!"

My eyes reddened, and tears welled on command.

I let my shawl slip, baring the smooth curve of my shoulder. I’d barely taken a step closer when he shoved me back so hard I stumbled into the cold wall.

"Get out! The sight of you disgusts me."

"Did you not hear me? I don't repeat myself!"

I cursed him under my breath. What a cold-blooded bastard. Playing nice is useless on an animal like him.

But I couldn't just directly ask him who he wanted me to take care of.

First, this penthouse was riddled with cameras. The man was paranoid. He'd never mention anyone he truly cared about here; he'd never expose a vulnerability at home.

Second, asking again would be admitting I wasn't listening, and that would just make him furious. Either way, I was screwed.

Wiping away my tears, I looked up with reddened eyes and said tentatively,

"Fine. I'll start by arranging for the best obstetrician and twenty bodyguards for Scarlett Monroe. That way, her safety is guaranteed, even if the paparazzi find her, and her private life remains undisturbed."

Julian idly toyed with the custom pen in his hand, his gaze fixed downward, a picture of indifference.

"Mm."

A prickle of doubt surfaced. Scarlett wasn't the one he wanted to protect.

So why did he agree?

The next second, he spoke again.

"And then?"

"And then... I'll assign four top-tier nurses to Cynthia Rhodes. As an actress, she's in the public eye constantly, which means greater risk. I'll put fifty bodyguards on her detail. How does that sound?"

He nodded, completely unconcerned.

"You handle it."

"But Scarlett is a public figure. We can't afford any mistakes with the press. Our resources are limited—allocate them where they matter most."

"And this stays between us. No one else finds out you're protecting her!"

His words were just as contradictory as they'd been in my past life. My composure nearly shattered.

He was so concerned about Scarlett's public image, yet she wasn't the one.

I was about to press him for clues about anyone new.

His phone suddenly rang.

When he saw the caller ID, a rare softness touched his perpetually cold features.

When he answered, Scarlett's sweet, delicate voice came through.

"Julian, am I interrupting? I have some amazing news!"

Julian smiled dotingly but said something that shocked me.

"I'm on an international conference call. We'll talk when I'm finished."

Scarlett was instantly displeased, her voice a pouty whine.

"Julian, how can you brush me off like that? You're not with some other woman, are you?"

I strained to listen, inwardly scoffing at her naivete.

What man would admit to having a new flame?

Sure enough, Julian sidestepped the question.

"Don't overthink it. Having you is enough. Be good."

"I really am in a meeting. I have to go, the board members are waiting for me."

A woman's intuition is a powerful thing. The sudden shift in his tone was all Scarlett needed.

"Wait a minute... you're not at the office! How could it be this quiet?"

"Julian, you told me you only loved me!"

He took a deep breath, his voice turning colder.

"Scarlett Monroe, let me make this clear. You do not control me!"

"I'm hanging up. If you need something, talk to my assistant. Don't bother me again today!"

Before Scarlett could reply, he hung up the phone.

"Is there anything else?"

Are you kidding me? Poking the bear right now would be suicide.

I forced a smile and poured him a glass of whiskey.

"No, I'll get right on it."

The moment Julian left the house, I followed him.

He's so impatient with Scarlett, so secretive... He must be going to see his real mistress!

I won't get it wrong this time!

I tailed him all the way to a private hangar.

His bodyguards had already secured the perimeter. Inside the enormous hangar, a crew bustled about with practiced efficiency.

I hid behind a shipping container and heard Julian instructing his men:

"Remember, the moment I raise my hand, you turn on the lights. As soon as she says yes, you play the music."

"Has that Graff yellow diamond necklace I ordered arrived? It's her favorite design. I want to surprise her with it on our trip to the private island."

His assistant nodded hastily, bowing his head in deference.

"Rest assured, sir. Everything is prepared to your specifications. We're just waiting for her to arrive."

"But sir, you'll be gone for six months. What if she gets lonely..."

Julian sighed.

"There's no other way. The deal over there has been finalized, and I have to go in person."

"With her getting pregnant now... I have no choice but to leave her in Claire's hands."

"I promised her that after this is all over, I'll liquidate my shadier assets and give her and the child a peaceful life."

I was so excited I nearly cried.

This has to be it!

For a madman like Julian to wash his hands of his dirty business, this woman must be the most important person in his life!

As time ticked by, my heart beat faster and faster.

As the hangar door slowly groaned upward, a figure in a striking red dress strode in from the night.

The moment their eyes met, they crashed together in a fierce kiss, an embrace so passionate it looked like they were trying to devour one another. My own heart hammered against my ribs.

I was even more excited than Julian himself.

I crept closer, desperate to see the woman's face.

But my foot kicked a toolbox.

Julian immediately pulled back, his gaze turning sharp as he looked in my direction.

"Who's there! Show yourself!"

A bodyguard grabbed me by the collar and threw me in front of them.

The moment I looked up, my world crashed down.

How could it be Scarlett?

Julian's face was grim.

"I gave you a job to do, and instead of doing it, you're here following me? Do you have a death wish?"

Scarlett, now sporting the multi-million-dollar necklace and grinning from ear to ear, felt generous enough to plead on my behalf.

"Julian, darling, I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. Why don't we let it go? It was probably just a misunderstanding."

"Thank you for this surprise. I was starting to think you'd forgotten our anniversary..."

"The good news I wanted to tell you is—"

"I'm pregnant!"

The ferocity in Julian's eyes softened instantly, and he gently pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I will never forget our anniversary. You mean everything to me."

"Thank you for this. I'm so happy."

I squeezed my eyes shut in despair, unable to listen to another word.

Using the excuse that I felt unwell, I fled the scene.

Back in the car, I realized that stalking him like this was far too risky.

I got my hands on a miniature listening device with a built-in GPS tracker.

When Julian wasn't looking, I slipped it into the custom pen he always carried.

He was leaving the country in just two days. This was my last chance.

Before Julian returned, I had already snuck into the guest bedroom and pretended to be asleep.

In five years of marriage, we had never shared a bed, so he had no reason to be suspicious.

A night passed. The next day, the listening device finally came alive.

"With them, it's all an act. You know who really has my heart, don't you?"

"I promise you, once our son is born, I'll set up the business for him to inherit. Then we'll travel the world together, just like I promised you, okay?"

"Still jealous of Scarlett? Her necklace was just a convincing replica. I already swapped it for the real one, which I'll give you when we meet tomorrow."

"If she hadn't also gotten pregnant, I'd have been worried my enemies would target you. Now, she's the perfect decoy for the media."

...

Hearing him coo so gently on the phone, a complete contrast to how he was with Scarlett, I shot bolt upright in bed. A jolt of certainty ran through me—this time, I would finally get the answer!

Julian left without touching his breakfast.

I quickly followed, tracking his location on my phone all the way to a seaside villa in the Hamptons.

The moment he parked, I began contacting the team Caleb had on standby.

At the same time, I hired ten top-tier nurses at an exorbitant price!

Julian valued her so much, and I had already died for her twice. This time, there could be no mistakes.

The villa entrance was too far away for me to see clearly.

I could only hear Julian's excited voice through the listening device.

"Is the baby okay?"

"Have the people Claire sent to protect you arrived?"

"I'll be away for the next six months. If anything happens, just listen to her. She's useless, but she's a coward who values her own life above all else. She'll protect you just to save her own skin."

"Be good. When I get back, I'll divorce her and be with you, properly and rightfully. My love, I miss you so much..."

The moment I heard him say "my love," all rational thought evaporated.

My mind was flooded with the sheer, ecstatic relief of knowing I would survive!

I've finally found her!

The two of them went into the villa, and Julian's figure soon appeared on the second-floor balcony, seemingly busy on a call.

I changed into a nurse's uniform and knocked on the villa's front door, determined to see what Julian's beloved actually looked like.

More importantly, I had to see the face of the person who had gotten me killed twice!

Footsteps soon approached from inside.

"Who is it?"

I replied loudly:

"Mrs. Blackwood sent me! I'm here to assist with her prenatal care."

"Okay, please wait a moment!"

Soon, the lock clicked open.

My breath caught, and my nails dug deep into my palm.